1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a kit for building structures. More specifically, the invention is a kit contains interlocking walls that are secured together using fasteners. The kit facilitates rapid assembly and disassembly of building structures such as sheds, tool workshops, walk-in freezers and the like.
Small building structures such as sheds, barns, mobile homes and the like are generally constructed from a plurality of prefabricated materials to bring down costs. This is because the time, labor, and material cost needed to construct such a structure from “scratch” usually exceed the structure's worth. Prefabricated panels and construction kit effectively reduce the cost of building a structure because material measurement and cutting is performed in a facility prior to building construction. The completed panels are then transported to the construction site and assembled. This procedure drastically reduces material preparation time, material transportation costs to and from the site, and the amount of labor time needed to erect a structure.
There are many different varieties of prefabricated construction panels. One common form of panel is formed from two sheet metal panels separated by lightweight polymer foam. Panels may be smooth, ribbed, or honeycombed surfaces. These panels are generally aligned in an end to end configuration and joined together using a fastening means. Fastening by tongue and groove engagements, caulking, and riveting or screwing, are all common forms of panel securement.
The problem with current prefabricated panels is that they do not have a strong base even when assembled. Though the panels are secured together, they are not protected from lateral warping. A construction panel kit is needed that holds the panels in lateral alignment and thereby reduces the likelihood of warping.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention is a kit for building a steel structure. A number of pieces are contained within the kit and the exact number of elements will vary according to the size of the structure. The kit includes a plurality of base tracks, a plurality of roof receiving tracks, and a plurality of sheet metal wall panels. Each of the wall panels has an outer and inner wall connected by two bridging walls, disposed perpendicularly to the outer and inner walls and forming a hollow interior. Portions of the outer and inner walls extend past the bridging walls creating tails on either side of the interior space. Some wall panels have indented tails and are therefore male parts. The male panel tails fit within the space created by female panel tails thereby forming an interlocking connection. A number of wall panels are connected in this way and placed within the base track portions. Once all wall panels are assembled within the base track the roof receiving tracks are placed over the panels. Fasteners are used to secure the panels in place. The following references form a list of prior art deemed relevant to the present disclosure.
Hesser, U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,678 teaches a plurality of interlocking wall panels that connect together in an end to end fashion. Each panel has outer and inner metal skin spaced by an intermediate insulating core of foamed polymer. Every panel has at least one interlocking edge having a metal lined tongue and a metal lined groove shaped for each metal tongue to fit into opposing grooves on abutting panels. Once the panels are properly engaged they are affixed in place with fasteners that slide through appropriate channels within the panels. Hesser does not teach panels having bridging walls perpendicular to the outer skins, to increase structural integrity of individual panels. Further, Hesser does not disclose the use of a base track and a roofing receiver track for holding the panels in place.
Similarly, Thompson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,679 teaches a plurality of interlocking wall panels. A first set of interlocking metal sheets form outer walls and a second set of interlocking metal sheets form the inner walls. The interlocking portions form rectangular columns within the walls when connected. Fasteners are secured through the inner and outer skins and into the column to secure the panels in place. Like the Hesser invention, Thompson does not teach a base track or a roof receiving track.
Another interchangeable, interlocking wall panels are disclosed in Mandelzys, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20080000176 as a wall panel with an outer and inner skin and flanged side portions. The flanged side portions interconnect to make a wall or roof. Each outer wall skin has regular protrusions along its length that facilitate rainwater run-off. Porter, U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,589 discloses wall panels with outer and inner metal skins sandwiching a foam insulation layer. A female panel has two tongues formed from the outer and inner skins and the male panel has a mating protrusion along each edge. Zafir, U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,210 also discloses a plurality of interlocking wall panels with outer and inner skins. The Zafir panels have side protrusions that mate when placed in an end to end configuration. The side portions of the Zafir panels extend from the outer and inner skins without discontinuity. Further examples of basic modular panel construction are shown in Bacher, U.S. Pat. No. 3,353,318, Leeser U.S. Pat. No. 2,836,266, and Heintz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,840.
These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. None of them disclose a base track for receiving the bottom edges of the wall panels or roof receiving panels that cover the upper edges of the connected wall panels. These elements facilitate end to end alignment of the wall panels and reduce warping or buckling of the wall. Thus the present invention provides improved structural integrity and reduced likelihood of wall panel failure. It substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing modular structure kits devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.